Chapter 12

Becoming a World Power

1872-1912

Imperialism

• What is it? The economic and political domination of a strong

nation over a weaker one• Examples: England owning the US as colonies• Spain owning Cuba and Mexico

Why do we want colonies?

• Compete with other world powers (Spain, England)

• Opens up more markets to sell goods

• Coaling stations to refuel naval ships

Why is it ok for the U.S. to dominate another country?

• Social Darwinism--nations competed with each other politically, economically, and militarily and only the strongest would survive.

• Anglo-Saxonism--belief that the Caucasian race was superior and it was, therefore, our Christian duty to help those “less civilized” countries.

Table Talk

• Take 1 song to discuss with your partner how Social Darwinism and Anglo-Saxonism were actually examples of racism.

Perry Opens Japan

• American business leaders thought that the US could benefit from trade w/ Japan

• Japanese leaders thought that too much contact with the West would destroy their culture

• Matthew Perry--realizing they could not compete against modern Western technology and weapons, the Japanese signed a treaty opening their ports to trade

Imperialism--Annexing Hawaii

• Ships traveling between China and the US often stopped in Hawaii--Americans began to move there as missionaries

• Tensions between Hawaiians and US planters grew.

• In 1891, planters forced Queen Liluokalani to give up power and set up a provisional government

Table Talk

• With your partner, take 1 song to discuss whether the changes American forced on Japan and Hawaii were good for those countries or bad.

War in Cuba

• Cubans decided to rebel against Spain to gain their independence

• Jose Marti was the exiled Cuban leader

Why did Americans side with the Cubans?

• We felt sympathy with another country trying to gain their independence

• We had commercial interests in Cuba (sugar plantations) and didn’t want to lose money

• Yellow Journalism--to sell newspapers, articles greatly exaggerated terrible conditions in Cuba

US Declares War on Spain

• 1898--Worried that American citizens in Cuba would be attacked, Pres. McKinley sent the USS Maine to Havana Harbor

• February 1898--Maine explodes and sinks in Havana Harbor

War Escalates

• To add to Spain’s troubles, the US seized Spain’s other colony, the Philippine Islands

• US sends troops to Cuba to fight (more soldiers died of disease in training camps than did on the battle field)

• Rough Riders--famous group of cowboys, miners, and law officers (including Teddy Roosevelt) that fought in Cuba

War Ends

• July 1898--Spain surrenders

• US decides to keep Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines as a protectorate

• Now the US takes its place as an Imperialist power.

Table Talk

• With your partner, take one song to discuss the most important outcome of the Spanish American War.

Roosevelt becomes President

• Took over as president when McKinley was killed by an anarchist

• Became a strong proponent of imperialism

Panama Canal

• The US wanted a faster way to move from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean

• Hay-Pauncefote Treaty--gave the US exclusive rights to build and control a canal in Panama

Table Talk

• With your partner, take 1 song to discuss why the Panama Canal was so important for the United States.